Quick Fix Friday: Keep your chin up!

Happy Friday!

This week’s quick tip works both literally and metaphorically. The quick fix?

Keep your chin up!

A common issue I see among clarinet players is playing with a lowered chin. This compresses the air way, making it more difficult to use or air effectively.

The bottom of the chin should remain parallel to the ground. To ensure you keep your chin up while playing, raise your music stand a bit above eye level to fight the urge to drop your chin. You can also use a clock, poster, or wall decoration as a reference point if playing music from memory.

P.S. Keep your chin up metaphorically, meaning stay positive! After all, you do play clarinet, the best instrument of all ;)

Happy practicing!